Kelly Calabria

Kelly Calabria is Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC). In this role, she leads the division of corporate social responsibility, brand management and marketing. The role focuses on addressing social drivers of health, community health equity and environmental, social and governance criteria to improve the health and well-being of customers and communities.

Kelly is a tested business and people leader who has spent more than 20 years working to make health care better across North Carolina and beyond. Kelly has excelled in roles that intersect business, brand strategy, health care, policy, community engagement and government. A North Carolina native, Kelly joined Blue Cross NC from the statewide health equity nonprofit Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI), where she was President and CEO. Under her leadership, FHLI worked to advance health equity through community-driven action and systems-level policy advocacy. Prior to that role, Kelly oversaw the North America health practice at Ketchum, a global communications consultancy, where she specialized in reputation building work with health services organizations.

In addition, Kelly is a member of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Advisory Board and is a member of UNC Health’s Office of Health Equity’s Action, Connection and Accountability Partners advisory council. Kelly was previously a member of the Family Forward NC Advisory Council, which provides review and support of the Guide to Family Forward Workplaces in North Carolina.

Kelly was named to the PR Week 40 Under 40 2018 list, as well as the Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. She was also named a recipient of the Triangle Business Journal’s Women in Business award.

Kelly holds a degree in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, a high school English teacher, and her two teenage sons.